Meine Skelette
by Stopwatch-To-Oblivion
Summary: Danny Fenton's world is falling apart at the seams. He's losing people he loves, Walker is terrorizing the Ghost Zone, Clockwork's missing. They say evil reigns in the most innocent of souls. T for language and trauma.
1. Chapter 1

_I don't know where this came from, I was just sitting in my room and thinking and it just came to me so I had to get it down._

_The title I got from EmptyHeart because I begged her to help me come up with one. It's German for "My Skeletons". Cryptic, no? Said she got it from something called...eh...Shaman King or something like that...I dunno, never heard of it. _

_Anyway..._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or any of the characters. Nor do I own the song that Stopwatch is singing, sue me I forgot who sung it and what it's called._

_Oh, and if you really want to understand this story, check out my one-shot 'Time Snap'._

1: Shackles of Your Sentiment 

"Get out of here, you little brat!" Ghostwriter shouted, shaking a fist at the retreating figure of Stopwatch, "If I ever find out how to write you into one of my books I'll lock you in a world of hurt, you little monster! Go on! Get out of here!"

Stopwatch laughed at him and sped off, looping loops and spiraling through the Ghost Zone, a smile on her face. She had spent most of the morning with Clockwork, as she usually did, and had then gone to bother Ghostwriter. He always made her laugh and you would have thought he would learn not to sleep in the middle of the day with his writing gear left out for her to get her hands on. That's why he had a brand new moustache and bigger eyebrows and a heart on his left cheek.

"_The stars will cry their blackest tears tonight. This is the moment that I live for, I can smell the ocean air."_ Stopwatch enjoyed human world music when she could get her hands on it,_ "Here I am, pouring my heart unto these rooftops. Just a ghost to the world. That's exactly, exactly what I-_OWW_!"_

Stopwatch cried out as she slammed into something and scooted backwards, rubbing her head and readjusting her glasses. Her gray-blue eyes traveled slowly up the towering figure that stood before her and widened as they did so. A white gloved hand whipped out and strong fingers closed around her neck, lifting her up so that she was eye level with a pair of glowing green orbs.

"This area's restricted…!" Snarled an accented voice, "You're not allowed here. This is my prison space and unless you're a convict or one of my men you'd best be one your way…!"

"Let go of me!" Stopwatch gasped, struggling, "You can't…treat people like this…! Let GO!" She blasted him with a beam of blue ectoplasm and the white suited ghost dropped her. She backed off slightly but didn't run yet.

"You hit a superior…" The ghost growled at her, holding a hand over the smoldering spot at his side, "That's against the rules…"

He lunged at her but someone swept into his path, knocking his hand aside with a staff.

"Clockwork!"

"Get out of here, Stopwatch…!"

"You're helping a convict escape, Time Master!" Sneered the other ghost, "If I'm not mistaken, that's against the rules too…!"

"Back off, Walker!" Clockwork snapped, his violet cloak swirling about him, "She doesn't understand your rules!"

"But you do!" Walker replied and blew a whistle, motioning with his hand, "Men, arrest the Ghost of Time!"

"What!? You can't do that!" Stopwatch screamed, "Clockwork!"

"Go, Stopwatch, now!" He whirled about, knocking away the armored ghosts that were converging on him, "Walker can't hold me for long…! Now go! And quickly!" One of them grabbed his staff and another wrapped their arms around his shoulders, "Get out of here! Protect the thermos!" His red eyes locked with her own gray-blue ones for a brief moment, "GO!"

She shot off like a rocket, tears flying from her eyes, the Ghost Zone speeding past her in a blur as she headed for Clockwork's lair. This was all her fault. She'd screwed up so bad this time and there was no way she could fix it!

Clockwork watched her go, his arms cuffed behind his back, his staff in the hands of one of Walker's men, and sighed heavily. Walker chuckled and kicked the Ghost of Time in the gut, cracking the glass over the clock and pendulum in his middle. He cried out, doubling over.

"Tch, even the great Master of Time obeys my laws!" Snarled Walker, an evil grin on his face, "You think you're above me, don't you Clockwork? Well, I've got news for you, punk, you're anything but!" He punched the other ghost in the face and laughed, "You know where I want 'im, throw him in and I'll deal with him later! And then get me the little brat who tore my suit…!"

Clockwork allowed himself to be dragged into Walker's prison, head hanging. A small smile traced his blue lips, red eyes glinting with pain and a hint of triumph. Walker was going to get it bad now. Especially since he'd pissed Stopwatch off so bad. The only thing that worried the Ghost of Time was the thermos. The time stream could take care of itself, he had things set up to take care of that, but it was the unprotected thermos containing Dan Phantom that bothered him some. There were so many things that could go wrong without him there to make sure no one touched it…

* * *

Stopwatch stood in front of Clockwork's screen, starring at it, hesitant to use it. Her eyes still burned from the tears she'd been crying for the past ten minutes. She was furious with herself. Damn, she was so mad. She'd run away like a coward when she could have helped Clockwork. But then she wasn't exactly a talented ghost. All she could do was mend the fabric of reality and that she barely held power over anyway. She'd have to make a choice. Either cower here and protect that 'thermos' Clockwork had been so worried about or…

"Danny Fenton!" Stopwatch's voice shook, cracked and, rose a half-octave as she said the boy's name to the shimmering, glowing screen.

The colors shifted, blurred, and solidified. Stopwatch gasped in horror, sinking to her knees shaking her head.

"How…how did this happen…!?"

The screen obliged.

* * *

_A little short, I know, but it's going to get bloody in the next chapter so I'd watch out if I were you. Blood and terror, that's what it is. And someone loses something. That's not a very good spoiler because you could take that anywhere. And those of you who've actually read my 'Cause and Effect: Teaser' know what's coming up… _

_Please review for me! Reviews spawn more chapters from the dark depths of my angst-filled mind and make Lollipops get stuck to Walker's stupid, clean white suit! XD _


	2. Chapter 2

_Warning for this chapter is simple: trauma and angst. You have been warned. Also, this happened probably about two months before the last chapter. _

2: Cause and Effect

Car rides with the entire Fenton family were nightmares. At least Jack wasn't driving. But it was still a nightmare. Maddie was drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the light to change, Jack was sitting in the passenger seat, singing loudly to a song playing on the radio, Jazz was in the seat behind her mother, trying to plug her ears with one hand and write in a notebook with the other, and Danny was slumped in the seat behind his father, scowling darkly. They were stuck at an intersection and, to the halfa, it seemed like the light had been red for the past five hours.

"Finally!" He heard his mother breathe and he sat up straight to see the red light had flicked to green, "I thought it was broken or something…!"

Danny couldn't agree more. He grinned and leaned forward a bit so he could look out the window. His grin vanished in a flash.

It wasn't like something in a movie or like what you read in books where time seems to slow down during a catastrophe. He didn't even have time to think. He'd seen a flash of reflected sunlight glinting off a car speeding right for them as they pulled into the middle of the intersection and then screams filled his ears. There was a screech of metal against metal, crunching of two steel frames collapsing on impact, and he felt as though someone was trying to squeeze his insides out.

A red film blotted out everything, every part of his body was on fire with pain, he couldn't comprehend what was happening, his brain wasn't working fast enough. He felt himself trying to move but couldn't tell if he was; he was numb with shock; something was pinning him back. He cried out, or at least he thought he did, and struggled. The noise in his ears made his head ache and spin and he fainted clean away.

* * *

Maddie and Jazz had made it out safely, being on the side of the car that had not been struck, only getting a few cuts and bruises. Danny and Jack had not been so lucky.

Jack was in critical condition. No one was allowed near him. The pandemonium that had accompanied their arrival was so confusing that Jazz had panicked and collapsed into tears so that her mother had to drag her into the waiting room. The haunted look on Mrs. Fenton's face was horrible, enough to scare any ghost away.

"Mrs. Fenton?" Maddie slowly looked up at the nurse in the dark blue scrubs, blinking sorrowfully at her, "Would you like to see your son?"

Jazz and Maddie followed the nurse to a secluded sort of room and Jazz thought she was going to break down again when she saw her little brother. His right arm was set in a heavy cast and both of his legs were too. An IV ran into left arm and there seemed to be several bandages wrapped tightly around his middle. But that wasn't the worst. By far, the most awful thing that made Jazz lose feeling in her insides was the horrible blue-purple mark around his neck, like someone had tried to strangle him, and the thick bandages covering his forehead and eyes, already stained with blotches of crimson. Jazz thought she was going to faint.

"He's breathing alright on his own," The nurse said in a low voice, "And he responded to our voices. He's sleeping right now and he needs it." She turned her head to look at him, "He's broken his right arm at the elbow, his side was sliced open by some shrapnel, both his legs were broken at the shins, and the bruise on his neck came from the seatbelt when it twisted around. Those should heal just fine."

"What…what…what about his…his…" Jazz pointed a shaking finger towards her brother, gesturing to her face, fighting the tears. Maddie seemed unable to speak at all.

"Well, we think the window exploded inwards when the cars hit each other," The nurse resolutely turned her gaze back to the mother and daughter before her, "The glass…I'm afraid it splintered into his eyes. He's probably going to be blind."

Maddie swayed on her feet and Jazz grasped her mother; they held one another tightly, supporting one another. As the nurse was about to walk away, Maddie managed to find her voice and speak a couple of words.

"The person…in the other car…who were they…are they okay?"

The nurse paused, looking like she didn't know whether she was aloud to reveal that information or not, and then sighed, edging closer to them.

"I suppose you should know, ma'am, your name was listed on the emergency numbers." The nurse frowned, troubled, and then continued, "It was Mayor Masters, Mrs. Fenton. He was driving the other car. I have no idea how he crashed so horribly but he…I'm afraid he didn't make it."

Jazz nearly collapsed under her mother as Maddie lost all ability to stand. She managed to get her into a chair just inside Danny's room. The beeping machines were like the tolling of Death's bells, Death knocking at the door. Maddie sobbed uncontrollably and all the psychology classes in the world weren't helping Jazz now.

"Jack's going to be h-h-heartbroken…!"

* * *

It seemed to be forever before Danny actually woke up and when he did he was in utter disarray. He'd panicked, screamed, sobbed, and struck out at anything within his reach; making him a danger to himself and anyone who came near him. It went on like that for almost a week before the boy finally realized that he wasn't in any real danger and Jazz and Maddie were able to see him again. This time, though, they brought along Sam and Tucker.

Sam had to be taken from the room because she was making too much noise.

After that, Jazz, Maddie, Sam, and Tucker visited him every weekend; even if he was sleeping most of the time. Sam would now sit by his bedside next to Tucker, talking over the beeping machines about school, ghost activity, her parents, whatever. Sometimes, Danny responded in subtle ways; altered breathing, a twitching finger; other times he remained perfectly still, and sometimes he attempted to speak but was still to injured to do so.

Jack was still not allowed visitors.

Two weeks after the crash, there was a funeral in Vlad's honor. It seemed eerily quiet despite how many people actually showed up. The car that had held the former Mayor had exploded in the back and the fire had traveled up the vehicle with alarming speed; the paramedics couldn't get Vlad's body out in time. It hadn't mattered. They'd established that he was already dead.

Five weeks after the funeral, Danny was moved out of his emergency room and into a slightly larger recovery room. The cast on his right arm had been removed, the bruises on his throat had almost completely healed, and the heavy casts on his lower legs had been lightened. Fresh bandages were still applied regularly to his eyes.

"Hey Danny," Sam had her chin in her hands one day while Tucker and Jazz talked softly in the background; Maddie was arguing with the doctor to try and get him to let her see her husband, "You awake today?" She folded her arms on the bed and gazed at him.

The boy shifted, turning his head slowly to face the sound of her voice, and a wavering smile traced his pale lips.

"Technus tried to get me to give you a bunch of electronic flowers that sang lullabies every time someone moved but I smashed them." She looked up at the numerous flowers and cards from townsfolk and friends already crowding the room, "Even if they do mean well I don't think you should have any ghost gifts in your hospital room."

Danny took a deep, shuddering breath, moved his hand over to Sam's where she grasped his fingers, and whispered in such a hoarse voice that it was barely audible,

"Sam…"

Tucker and Jazz looked up and Sam's eyes widened. It was the first time Danny had spoken since the accident. Her vision blurred and she couldn't keep the smile off her face. Tucker whooped loudly and bounded to his best friend's side followed by Jazz who nearly smothered her recovering little brother with a dozen kisses on the cheeks. Danny laughed weakly at their antics, all the while keeping his hand in Sam's.

Everything was going to be okay.

"Hey…Jazz…why's this…here…?" Danny put the fingers of his other hand on the bandages on his face, his mouth twisting into a cringe of pain even with the light pressure applied to his wounds.

The smiles fell from everyone's faces.

"H-hey…guys…what's wrong…? Why's e-everyone so quiet?"

"Dude, you…really don't remember?" Tucker murmured.

"I…I remember the flash…the other car coming at us a-and…and then pain…"

"Oh, Danny!" Jazz moaned and Tucker hesitantly patted her back.

"Sam…?"

The Goth swallowed, trying to force back the lump in her throat. If no one else would then…

"Danny, the window exploded inward when the other car hit you. You…the doctors say that…" She felt her voice quivering, "That you could be…blind."

Danny's mouth was partially open in a sort of disbelieving way but he didn't say anything in response. He took another shaky breath, tilted his head away so he was facing the ceiling again, slipped his hand out of Sam's, swallowed, and licked his lips.

"Who…was in the…other car?"

Jazz, after a moment of silence, summoned up the courage and answered her brother.

"It was Vlad, Danny, Vlad Masters. He…he didn't make it. The funeral was almost six weeks ago."

The youngest Fenton sibling's chest shook beneath the light blankets and his shaking fingers curled into fists. A sob slipped through is lips and he looked like he wanted, for all the world, to cry. But he couldn't.

Not long afterwards, the three visitors were chased off by a nurse who snapped the Danny needed his rest.

_Damn it…he's really gone…_ Danny lay on the hospital bed, able to hear the beeping machines but unable to see them, _I never really thought…I mean, he was always there. Always! All the time! Who am I…who am I supposed to fight now…? Who am I going to fight!?_

His breath caught again and he fought back the fear and sorrow. It hurt physically now too.

_All this time and now…what the hell now!?_

It occurred to him that, in a way, he'd needed Vlad. The older halfa had kept Danny on his toes, kept him ready, given him someone to fight. Given him a reason to fight.

_Who am I gonna fight now!?_ Danny's thoughts churned angrily, _You're supposed to be here…to fight __**me**__! What the hell where you doing!? Why'd you have to…why'd you have to go and…and…and…_

Tears choked him, the torn skin beneath his bandages burned hotly, and he wished he could cry.

_It was more than just…than just throwing punches at each other…! It was more than that! It…it was a rivalry and…and…and I respected it. I respected __**you**__! _

The thoughts were all true. Danny had respected Vlad as both a rival and a teacher (or sorts); the man had, unwittingly, created the bond that held the Fenton family together. And now that bond was falling apart and there was nothing he could do about it. Under different circumstances, Danny supposed that they could have been friends.

_Why'd you have to go!? Why'd you have to go __**like that**__!? You were supposed to go down fighting __**me**__! __**Me**__! Not die in a stupid car crash! You stupid fruitloop! Damn you! _

"You were…supposed to be there…for me…!"

* * *

Sam walked through the front door of the house, closing it softly behind her, her thoughts elsewhere as she wandered into the huge sitting room. Danny was really, truly awake now but obviously upset about what had just happened. Especially the part about Vlad; Sam had always figured that Danny had hated Vlad but maybe she was just seeing the surface and there was something deeper there.

"Samantha." Her father's cool tone made her look up; her parents were both sitting on the love seat with steaming cups of tea in their hands, "Where have you been, young lady?"

Sam scowled; she hated being called "young lady" by anyone.

"I was at the hospital with Mrs. Fenton, Jazz, and Tucker. We were visiting Danny. He was in the car crash. **Remember**…?"

Her mother blinked at her, "You mean the one that killed Mayor Masters. That was such a tragedy." She took a sip of her tea, "But, Samantha, didn't you have homework to finish?"

"I did it at the hospital." Sam lied; a slight tingling of guilt floating into her mind as she thought about the work she'd left in her bag, "I'm going to my room now. No visitors." And she stomped up the stairs without another word, making sure that her combat boots thudded on the carpet as loud as she could get them. Obviously her parents wouldn't care about the Fentons or their injured family. Sam was equally, if not more so, worried about Danny's father as she was about Danny himself.

The Goth slammed her door shut, locked it, and turned her stereo on, flopping onto her bed with an exhausted sigh. She tugged her hair from its usual tuft, letting fall back, and pulled her homework from her bag. Better late than never.

* * *

_Sorry for the lame chapter ending but I just couldn't find a better way to cut it off without it going on forever and ever. Next chapter's going back to present time. _

_And __**NO**__, for the love of everything that's not been corrupted by man-kind in this world, this is __**NOT**__ a Danny__**X**__Vlad fiction. Ew. Gross. (throws up everywhere at the very thought) Thank you very much…!_

_Maybe I'll post another chapter, maybe not. It all depends on whether I can get over my Writer's Block on 'Seventh Waltz' and 'Fabric of Unreality'. It seemed 'Good Night Love, Good Morning Power' has become sort of a lost cause. _

_Well, thanks for reading and please review! Reviews kill Writer's Block dead and…yeah…well, they kill Writer's Block. Hoo-rah! XD_


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